“I went on to the hospital, and ran straight to Stubby’s ward to see if he was there, well knowing that in the confusion nobody would molest me. I passed the cook on the stairs and he was so excited and scared he did not pay the slightest attention to me. When I reached your ward, Stubby, I found your bed empty so took it for granted that you had started to meet me and that I had missed you somewhere on the road. So I started back, stopping at every farm I passed to look the place over to see if I could hear or see anything of any of you. A rooster at the next farm told me he had seen two dogs and a black cat pass their place at sunrise five days ago. Then I knew that you were either prisoners somewhere or I had passed you on your way to meet me. Now tell me how it happens that you two dogs are locked in and Button still running outside.”
Between them they told Billy all that had happened since he left them, ending by relating how they were to be carried to headquarters early the next morning.
“Well, I guess not! Not if my name is Billy Whiskers will you two stay prisoners another minute. I’ll just hook the glass out of this window and you two can crawl out and then we will make a merry chase for the next village.”
Billy did this, and as they passed the house, the soft-hearted Stubby said to the farmer and his wife, “I am sorry to make you lose your reward for my capture, as you have been very good to all of us. But even for you I can’t be a prisoner just so you can get some money by delivering me to headquarters. So au revoir, old friends!”
“Good-by,” meowed Button. “And may you have better luck the next time you try to catch a black cat! Had you only remembered that black cats are said to bring bad luck, you would not have wasted so much valuable time in trying to capture me.”
“And many, many thanks for the good meals you gave us,” barked Duke. Then the four passed on into the darkness and were lost to the farmer forever.
“I think the best thing we can do,” said Billy, “is to push on to Paris just as fast as we can, and that won’t be very rapidly, as we shall have to travel by night most of the time and lie hidden in the daytime, since there are so many looking for us who are sparing no expense in advertising and searching for us. We are like regular escaped prisoners with a price on our heads.”
“The nearer we get to Paris,” said Duke, “the harder it will be to keep hidden, for the country is very thickly populated for miles and miles outside the city. But an idea just flashed across my mind that, if carried out, would get us inside Paris without much trouble.”
“What is it?” asked Billy.